This Waste Reduction Section is responsible for promoting and monitoring state-wide recycling and waste
reduction programs as well as the recycling and proper management of household hazardous waste, medications, mercury lamps (fluorescent) and
devices (thermostats), batteries, and scrap electronics. Grants and technical assistance are also provided to local governments for the implementation
of solid waste management programs. Local household hazardous waste collection center grants are also administered by this section.

Programs

Recycling
In 2010 the state Legislature set a recycling goal of 75% by 2020 for Florida counties. This Section is responsible for
monitoring and reporting on progress towards the goal as well as providing technical assistance. It manages the Recovered Materials Dealers
Certification program and the Construction and Demolition Debris Facilities Reporting program. It also assists Florida First Capital Finance
Corporation in administering the Florida Recycling Loan Program.

Recycling Business Assistance Center
The Recycling Business Assistance Center’s mission is to develop and support new recycling markets through education and communication to
help achieve a statewide 75% recycling rate by 2020.

Grants
The Small County Solid Waste grants provide assistance to small counties for their solid waste management and recycling programs. Household
hazardous waste collection center grants help to finance household hazardous waste collection events provided by counties with expertise and
equipment in smaller counties that may not have sufficient expertise and equipment.

Recycling Fluorescent Bulbs, Thermostats and Other Products Containing Mercury
Mercury is used in many everyday products like fluorescent lamps, thermometers, thermostats, blood pressure manometers and pleasure boat
bilge pump float switches. Some of these products have an environmental benefit. For example, fluorescent lamps use less energy than
traditional incandescent lamps. Unless they are recycled, however, the mercury from the disposal of these discarded products can
contaminate the air, surface water and ground water.

Battery Recycling
Rechargeable batteries can and, under Florida law, must be recycled. Toxic heavy metals like cadmium and lead can adversely affect
public health and the environment. Fortunately, there is a convenient and free rechargeable battery recycling system available to
every resident as well as every business, institutional, government, industrial, commercial, communications or medical facility in the state.

Electronics Recycling
Electronic equipment is everywhere in modern life. Unwanted electronics should be recycled to recover and reuse the product itself or
materials like copper, steel, glass that the product contains. Other materials like lead (in the solder on circuit boards; in the glass
cathode ray tube (CRT) found in many televisions and computer monitors and mercury (in the fluorescent backlights in many flat panel
displays) can be recycled to reuse the materials and to reduce the chance that these toxic materials could be released to the environment.

Household Hazardous Waste
Paint, batteries, oil, gasoline, pool chemicals, household cleaners, fluorescent bulbs and pesticides are typical examples of hazardous
household products that burn, are corrosive, are poisonous or contain toxic chemicals. When disposed of in the municipal solid waste
stream (regular trash) or otherwise improperly managed, these materials have the potential of contaminating the ground water - our
drinking water supply. Every Florida county has a program that collects these household hazardous waste for recycling or proper disposal.

Medications
Most of us have medications that we no longer take, are old, have expired, or were used by someone who died. Many of these unwanted
medications contain compounds that are known sometimes as emerging substances of concern. While the concentrations of these substances
found in our water bodies are hundreds or thousands of times lower than the therapeutic dosages found in the medications that we take,
research has shown that there can be effects on aquatic organisms like fish and frogs. We can reduce the amount of these substances by
properly disposing of unwanted medications.